Directions

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil and cook the asparagus until tender. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.When slightly cooled cut into 1 inch lengths.

Add the orzo to the boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally about 10 minutes, or until al dente.

Melt the butter in a medium skillet over fairly high heat and then reduce heat and brown the butter.

Add the shrimp, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook until pink and curled. (about 1 minute per side) Remove the shrimp with a slotted spoon and add to the asparagus. Reserve the skillet with the butter in it.

Drain the orzo, saving 1/4 cup of the water. Return it to the saucepan and add the browned butter from the skillet.

Set the skillet back over high heat and add the chicken broth, scraping up the bits off the bottom of the pan.

Pour the stock and the reserved cooking water over the orzo and cook over moderate heat, stirring until creamy, about 2 minutes.

stir in the asparagus and shrimp and heat through. Remove from heat, stir in the parsley and 1/2 cup of the parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.